The invention generally relates to a high efficiency fuel cell system.
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts chemical energy directly into electrical energy. For example, one type of fuel cell includes a proton exchange membrane (PEM), that permits only protons to pass between an anode and a cathode of the fuel cell. Typically PEM fuel cells employ sulfonic-acid-based ionomers, such as Nafion, and operate in the 60° Celsius (C) to 70° temperature range. Another type employs a phosphoric-acid-based polybenziamidazole, PBI, membrane that operates in the 150° to 200° temperature range. At the anode, diatomic hydrogen (a fuel) is reacted to produce hydrogen protons that pass through the PEM. The electrons produced by this reaction travel through circuitry that is external to the fuel cell to form an electrical current. At the cathode, oxygen is reduced and reacts with the hydrogen protons to form water. The anodic and cathodic reactions are described by the following equations:H2→2H++2e− at the anode of the cell, and  Equation 1O2+4H++4e−→2H2O at the cathode of the cell.  Equation 2
A typical fuel cell has a terminal voltage near one volt DC. For purposes of producing much larger voltages, several fuel cells may be assembled together to form an arrangement called a fuel cell stack, an arrangement in which the fuel cells are electrically coupled together in series to form a larger DC voltage (a voltage near 100 volts DC, for example) and to provide more power.
The fuel cell stack may include flow plates (graphite composite or metal plates, as examples) that are stacked one on top of the other, and each plate may be associated with more than one fuel cell of the stack. The plates may include various surface flow channels and orifices to, as examples, route the reactants and products through the fuel cell stack. Several PEMs (each one being associated with a particular fuel cell) may be dispersed throughout the stack between the anodes and cathodes of the different fuel cells. Electrically conductive gas diffusion layers (GDLs) may be located on each side of each PEM to form the anode and cathodes of each fuel cell. In this manner, reactant gases from each side of the PEM may leave the flow channels and diffuse through the GDLs to reach the PEM.
The fuel cell stack is one out of many components of a typical fuel cell system, as the fuel cell system includes various other components and subsystems, such as a cooling subsystem, a cell voltage monitoring subsystem, a control subsystem, a power conditioning subsystem, etc. The particular design of each of these subsystems is a function of the application that the fuel cell system serves.
Irrespective of external humidification, with any PEM fuel cell stack there are two challenges with regard to the flow of gas inside the fuel cell stack: 1.) inert gas buildup; and 2.) water buildup. In the case of a pure hydrogen-fueled stack, over time, nitrogen and other inert gases diffuse from the cathode (air) side of the membrane to the anode (fuel) side of the fuel cell membranes. If the inert gases are not removed from the anode side of the membranes, then operation of one or more cells or the entire stack is eventually interrupted. In the case of all PEM stacks, water may build-up in the anode and/or cathode flow channels of the stack and over time, thereby causing instability of the cell or stack of cells. This condition is called flooding. In order to prevent the flooding condition, sufficient anode and cathode gas velocity must be provided to clear the water from the flow channels.
Thus, there exists a continuing need for a fuel cell system that prevents significant buildup of water and inert gases in a fuel cell stack of the system.